Spiced Lentil Stew with Potatoes

If you watch the video for this recipe, my enthusiasm for lentils might not fully show. Trust, however, I have a passion for lentils that sometimes gets a bit much for others. Lentils are one of the perfect ingredients in my pantry.

They require no soaking but still cook within 30 minutes, they adapt to different flavors, and they can make so many different meals. For example, my favorite lentil bites that have made an appearance yearly on the site. This soup is just one of many lentils in my arsenal. However, the beauty in this recipe are within the spice blend. Winter is the perfect time of year for a savory cinnamon dish!

Spiced Lentil Stew with Potatoes

Description

A warming lentil stew perfect for fall and winter that features potatoes and a blend of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom.

Ingredients

3 celery stalks

1 large Yukon gold potatoes

1 small yellow onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups green/brown lentils

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

4 to 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

½ cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Salt, to taste

Parsley, for topping

Instructions

Rinse the celery and potato. Mince the celery and onion. Heat a large stock-pot to medium heat and add the olive oil followed by the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion mixture has softened and is fragrant, 8 or so minutes.

While the onion mixture is cooking, dice the potato and mince the garlic. Stir in the potatoes and cook for another few minutes then finish with the garlic.

Rinse the lentils and add to the pot shortly after the garlic. Follow closely with the spices and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are just about tender; 25 or so minutes

Stir in the tomato, lemon zest, and juice. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top with minced parsley before serving.

Notes

Tips + Tricks: This stew is one that only gets better with age. I prefer to reheat the second day and serve over a piece of toast.

Nutrition

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Step by Step

Lentil Stew

variations

The stars in this recipe are the spices. It’s such a wonderful way to use spices traditionally reserved in American cuisine for sweet dishes. Below are a few swaps you could make but I highly recommend trying the stew as-is first!

Tomato-free: If you’re avoiding nightshades, you can skip the tomato sauce. It adds a nice level of flavor but could easily be left out.

Lentil Varieties: Use black or French lentils in place of the brown lentils. You could use red but they will break down more than the brown.

Lentils are a must in my pantry. I keep red lentils on hand for quick soups, stews, and creamy meals while I have brown lentils on hand to make my favorite lentil bites. Black and French lentils tend to rotate but both hold up well in salads, tacos, enchiladas, and most places you might use chickpeas. A few of my favorite lentil recipes include:

Reader Interactions

Comments

Mmm. This is going on next week’s menu. I love lentils– cheap, easy, nutritious. I have a quick question, though: in the last step, you reference adding juice, which is not one of the ingredients. I assume that it’s lemon juice, probably a few tablespoons. Can you clarify? TIA!

Could you add mild curry powder instead in here for a little different flavor and heat? And if so would you reduce any of the other seasonings? Loved the note about using sweet potatoes. Looks great! Can’t wait to try it.

It’s interesting you ask that- I thought about adding carrots but I felt the flavor would have been too much (part of the reason I went with regular potato.) However, I think they could work but the level of spices/lemon juice might need to change.